How can we improve your Kreg Experience?

[KregRep]

At Kreg, we make it our top priority is to ensure that our customers get real use out of their Kreg products. The tips and tricks provided in the Kreg Plus Newsletter, Kreg Jig Project Plans, educational videos on YouTube, and the forums found right here on the Kreg Jig Owners Community are all designed to add to your woodworking success.

What we'd like to know from you, is how we can improve...
Do you find the Kreg Jig Owners Community helpful?
Could you have used more detailed instructions with a product?
How was the product packaging and materials included?
Are there any tools you need that we aren't yet offering?
Is it difficult to find accessories at your local store?
Is the newsletter content too simple? Too complex?
What other content would you like to see included in the newsletter?
Were the Kreg Trim Carpentry videos useful to you?

Please use this thread to give the Kreg Family a better idea of what you need in order to advance on your woodworking journey, and to let us know where we're succeeding so far. Thanks!

[William Chapman]

I would like to see some project plans and videos for some top quality outdoor Adirondack type furniture using 5/4 western red cedar. These plans would incorporate pocket hole joinery in every conceivable place to eliminate as many visible screw heads as possible. I am currently trying to develop some plans for a folding Adirondack chair and folding ottoman by taking (what are in my opinion) the best design features from the different plans I have been able to find and bringing them together with pocket hole joinery. My problems are that I am not an expert in pocket hole joinery nor am I proficient in Adirondack furniture design and with what little time I have outside of work to follow my hobby it may take me years to realize my dream. It would be so much of a time saver if the Kreg Jig experts could create some project plans and maybe even some videos to pass on to the public for this ever popular furniture.

[William Chapman]

Buy a bottle of fingernail polish or borrow one from the wife (girlfriend, mom, whomever). They come in every conceivable color (white, red, orange, black, whatever) and each bottle comes with its own brush under the cap. Ask any female, fingernail polish usually does not come off until you take it off.

Don Husslein said:

What I would like to see is the measurement markings on the jig made a contrasting color so they are easier to see.

[John P. Stombaugh]

Check the far right column on this page under "Useful Links - Project Plans" and you will find "Step-by-Step Adirondack Chair". I haven't watched the video but looking at the tools list, a Kreg Jig is referenced. I don't know how much of the chair is assembled using pocket holes, but it is a starting point.
John P.

Bruce Chapman said:

I would like to see some project plans and videos for some top quality outdoor Adirondack type furniture using 5/4 western red cedar. These plans would incorporate pocket hole joinery in every conceivable place to eliminate as many visible screw heads as possible. I am currently trying to develop some plans for a folding Adirondack chair and folding ottoman by taking (what are in my opinion) the best design features from the different plans I have been able to find and bringing them together with pocket hole joinery. My problems are that I am not an expert in pocket hole joinery nor am I proficient in Adirondack furniture design and with what little time I have outside of work to follow my hobby it may take me years to realize my dream. It would be so much of a time saver if the Kreg Jig experts could create some project plans and maybe even some videos to pass on to the public for this ever popular furniture.

[WaltB]

Watched the video that came with the kit. What I'd like to see is a chart showing what type, length of screws to use for the type and thickness of stock. 1/2 inch Pine vs. 3/4 inch Oak or plywood.

What's the minimum and maximum thickness of stock can you use with the Kreg system? Maybe it's out there and I haven't found it. Appreciate any help!

[WaltB]

Phil,

You're the best. Thanks! It's just what I was looking for.

I figured there should be something like this out there. Just got the kit for Christmas and I'm excited
to get started. I'm new to all of this and I really appreciate all the help from folks such as yourself,
that have seen people like me before. Great forum!

Phillip said:

These are from Kreg, so I can't take any credit. Hope they help.
Phil

WaltB said:

Watched the video that came with the kit. What I'd like to see is a chart showing what type, length of screws to use for the type and thickness of stock. 1/2 inch Pine vs. 3/4 inch Oak or plywood.

What's the minimum and maximum thickness of stock can you use with the Kreg system? Maybe it's out there and I haven't found it. Appreciate any help!

[Paul Sammon]

1) Similar to many others - more plans would be great - or better promotion of any existing DVDs that might be available.

2) Having researched the Kreg system for sometime - and having a friend whose used it successfully for a year now, I was surprised to find that in all of Northern NJ the only places that carried the Kreg system were Lowes - with the closet being 14 miles away. I ordered mine through Rockler - but would love great flexibiity in being able to find more of your products.

3) at the top of the "Components" page of the Quick-Start Guide for the Master System it refers to "for more detailed instructions, please visit us online at kregjig.com" ... only problem is I can't seem to find those "more detailed instructions" anywhere ... so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for a truly great product.

[gary]

Have been working with wood for most of my life... Still learning things though... Don't usually find something of the quality and design worth talking out about,,,, Till I purchased and used the Kreg Jig ... WoodCrafters in Jacksonville, Florida has all of your systems ... I will admit I was tentive about purchasing your jig,, ( have just the JR. Jig ) ... Wanted to see if all I had heard about your Jig was true.... It is all that and then some... I will be going back to purchase the Pro Jig ASAP....

To all those that designed and crafted the Jig systems..... THANK YOU!!!!! My only problem is my Wife,,, I used to be able to put my feet up and watch TV,,,, now She's showing me pictures of things to build.... She actually has gone out and purchased the wood to make it... And the worse thing is with this type of job foreman I can't even call in sick....

So from the two of us... Again thank you for the Jig systems

[Brian M Johnson]

More Plans available to us

[Jenny]

-It is good to have the community to see other’s work and to show off our own. And to ask questions and get feedback. It is progressive of you to have it.

-My local Rockler store has a great selection of Kreg tools (BTW, seeing it there made my husband think much higher of the tool) – For me it was the user comments, reviews and creations on the Web that raised my respect for the Jig (and made it the top request on my Christmas list).

- For improvements, below are my unboxing notes (way TMI for most readers except the Kreg User Experience team):

The Quick-Start Guide was great – Clear pictures and directions for putting together Jig and for basic use. Some notes on the Quick-Guide:
-Page numbers would be nice, e.g. I could refer to them below ;)
- The “Material Support Stop Assembly” drawing shows a machine screw. It is not included and I don’t know what it would screw into if it was. The best I can figure out is to screw the Stop to the work bench with a drywall screw. BTW using the Stop as a support for large panels is great. It is noted in the Start-up but would be helpful if it were also shown in use (with the Stop swung out of the way).
- The Pocket-Hole Placement drawing and text is useful. I transposed this information onto my jig (1”-2” = BC, 2”-3”= AB…) with a Sharpie. It would be nice to have it in the mold.
-It would be nice if the Spacer Block was marked as “for ¾” stock”
- The Choosing a Screw chard is essential, but it would be much better if the outside of all your screw packets had this information clearly marked also. I got the Self-Taping Pocket-Hole Screw Kit and hand wrote on the label the stock size and recommended woods for each screw.
- On the last page under “Highlight your markings” it sends you to the web page FAQ to find out how. I searched that FAQ, the company FAQ, then googled and still couldn’t find the info. I ended up highlighting the markings by rubbing them with a white crayon. That worked well. What was the real answer?

Per the SkillBuilder - I watched the first half of the DVD, found it not very useful, stopped it and went back to the Quick-Start guide. The DVD was more like an infomercial than a learning tool. For instance the Setting up your Jig section did not go through the set up steps at all.
-I am used to using biscuit joiners and doing rabbits and dadoes, so I was looking for: 1) How to set up the Kreg Jig and 2) How is this different from other joining methods? It was weak on point 1, but ok on point 2 – I feel I know when to use a pocket-hole screw joint but would love more info on strength compared to other joining methods.
- The DVD sent me back to the Web to find patterns. Again, I could find no mention of them on your site. Finally I Googled for them and found just 1 (by the way the Google search gets past your request for information that precedes the patterns). Then a played around with that URL and finally ended up on your request for info page that precedes access to the patterns. I stopped there because I think it is an unfair tradeoff to ask for info at that point.
-The DVD was helpful in showing the picture frames with 45 degree cuts. It was nice to see how to line up the 45 in the Jig.

[Jenny]

Phillip - That quick check idea is brilliant, thank you.

WaltB - Per selecting a screw, there is a good "Choosing a Screw" chart in the Quick-Start guide, along with suggested woods for thread types. But it would be nice to see this info on all the Kreg screw packages too.

Phillip said:

Glad to help. JUST REMEMBER! After you have set the collar and the jig block. Drop the drill down through the hole. If it is set right you will not drill through your jig. Just a quick check and I know many who have learned this the hard way! Your jig will still work but you really do not want to mar it, right out of the box.
From those of us that have them, the Kreg jig is so revolutionizing you will have to experience it to believe it. I have my work down to the point that last night I built a medicine cabinet, cut and assembled in less than 4 hours. The finish work will take days, but cut and construct will go fast.
Phil

WaltB said:

Phil,
You're the best. Thanks! It's just what I was looking for. I figured there should be something like this out there. Just got the kit for Christmas and I'm excited
to get started. I'm new to all of this and I really appreciate all the help from folks such as yourself,
that have seen people like me before. Great forum!

Phillip said:

These are from Kreg, so I can't take any credit. Hope they help.
Phil

WaltB said:

Watched the video that came with the kit. What I'd like to see is a chart showing what type, length of screws to use for the type and thickness of stock. 1/2 inch Pine vs. 3/4 inch Oak or plywood.

What's the minimum and maximum thickness of stock can you use with the Kreg system? Maybe it's out there and I haven't found it. Appreciate any help!

[John Frankforther]

Brian M Johnson said:

More Plans available to us

Hi Brian

With a little bit of reconfiguration on your part you can take almost ANY wood project and use the Kreg Jig to construct it!!
If you look for me on here, you will see the entertainment cabinet I built using the Kreg Jig. The cabinet was supposed to be built with biscuts and datos but I converted it to pocket screws. Just remember to use screws about every 4" to 6" along the joint if possible.
The main problem with offering more plans to you is, What if the extra plans they offer weren't what you were looking for? With a few adjustments to the measurements to compensate for the type of joint the plan calls for and adjust it for a butt joint for the pocket screws, you can use most plans to build your projects you want to build the way you want it to look. The plans for the entertainment center I built came from PlansNOW. I just changed the joinsts from dato joints to butt joints and it turned out just like the original except I put speakers in where the doors were supposed to go. Try a simple project at first and see what I mean. I just sold my biscut jointer as I don't need it any more!!

[KregRep]

Jenny said:

-It is good to have the community to see other’s work and to show off our own. And to ask questions and get feedback. It is progressive of you to have it.

Jenny, thank you very much! The team here at Kreg is very passionate about providing our customers with the tools and platforms to share their Kreg JIg stories and more importantly... to learn from other Kreg Jig users, and grow as a woodworker. This community has already proven to be an incredibly successful way to do this and I think everyone would say that it is a very handy resource. I'm really glad that individuals like yourself are so active and helpful to our members who are just learning. Just by sharing your projects and ideas you have the opportunity to inspire a lot of people!

- -My local Rockler store has a great selection of Kreg tools (BTW, seeing it there made my husband think much higher of the tool) – For me it was the user comments, reviews and creations on the Web that raised my respect for the Jig (and made it the top request on my Christmas list).

We're always working to expand the availability of the Kreg Jig so that the tool and all of it's components, accessories, etc. are as accessible to our customers as possible. Our sales team will continue to make this a big priority moving into 2010 and beyond. We're very proud to have dealers like Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, Rockler, Woodcraft, etc. that represent thousands of stores worldwide.

- For improvements, below are my unboxing notes (way TMI for most readers except the Kreg User Experience team): The Quick-Start Guide was great – Clear pictures and directions for putting together Jig and for basic use. Some notes on the Quick-Guide:
-Page numbers would be nice, e.g. I could refer to them below ;)
- The “Material Support Stop Assembly” drawing shows a machine screw. It is not included and I don’t know what it would screw into if it was. The best I can figure out is to screw the Stop to the work bench with a drywall screw. BTW using the Stop as a support for large panels is great. It is noted in the Start-up but would be helpful if it were also shown in use (with the Stop swung out of the way).
- The Pocket-Hole Placement drawing and text is useful. I transposed this information onto my jig (1”-2” = BC, 2”-3”= AB…) with a Sharpie. It would be nice to have it in the mold.
-It would be nice if the Spacer Block was marked as “for ¾” stock”
- The Choosing a Screw chard is essential, but it would be much better if the outside of all your screw packets had this information clearly marked also. I got the Self-Taping Pocket-Hole Screw Kit and hand wrote on the label the stock size and recommended woods for each screw.
- On the last page under “Highlight your markings” it sends you to the web page FAQ to find out how. I searched that FAQ, the company FAQ, then googled and still couldn’t find the info. I ended up highlighting the markings by rubbing them with a white crayon. That worked well. What was the real answer?

Thanks for all of the great notes on the Quick Start Guide. We put a lot of effort into the post-purchase experience of the Kreg Jig and really want our customers to feel welcome and excited about building their first Kreg Jig project. Your suggestions will be gone over by our marketing team (which I am a part of) in great detail. I sincerely appreciate that you took the time to give us your thoughts!

Per the SkillBuilder - I watched the first half of the DVD, found it not very useful, stopped it and went back to the Quick-Start guide. The DVD was more like an infomercial than a learning tool. For instance the Setting up your Jig section did not go through the set up steps at all. -I am used to using biscuit joiners and doing rabbits and dadoes, so I was looking for: 1) How to set up the Kreg Jig and 2) How is this different from other joining methods? It was weak on point 1, but ok on point 2 – I feel I know when to use a pocket-hole screw joint but would love more info on strength compared to other joining methods. - The DVD sent me back to the Web to find patterns. Again, I could find no mention of them on your site. Finally I Googled for them and found just 1 (by the way the Google search gets past your request for information that precedes the patterns). Then a played around with that URL and finally ended up on your request for info page that precedes access to the patterns. I stopped there because I think it is an unfair tradeoff to ask for info at that point.
-The DVD was helpful in showing the picture frames with 45 degree cuts. It was nice to see how to line up the 45 in the Jig.

Another great grouping of comments. Again, this will all be reviewed by our marketing team. The SkillBuilder DVD has been so far received extremely well by the majority of our customers, but it's certainly not perfect... and as you can tell it's really aimed at beginners. Much appreciated, and thanks again for all of your contributions to this site thus far!